Dynamic boot image streaming
AssigneeMarvell World Trade Ltd.
InventorsVamsi Krishna Baratam, Tolga Nihat Aytek
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Abstract
The present disclosure describes apparatuses and techniques for dynamic boot image streaming. In some aspects a memory controller that is streaming multiple boot images from a first memory to a second memory is stalled, a descriptor for streaming one of the multiple boot images from the first memory to a non-contiguous memory location is generated while the memory controller is stalled, and the memory controller is resumed effective to cause the memory controller to stream, based on the descriptor generated while the memory controller is stalled, the second boot image to the non-contiguous memory location.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- causing a memory controller that is streaming, via a direct memory access (DMA) operation, multiple boot images from a first memory to a second memory to execute a link-to-self effective to stall the memory controller after streaming a first one of the multiple boot images to the second memory, the second memory accessible by a host device associated with the memory controller;
- generating, via a processor of the host device, while the memory controller is stalled, and based on the first boot image streamed to the second memory, a descriptor for streaming a second one of the multiple boot images from the first memory to a non-contiguous memory location;
- and
- pointing, via the processor of the host device, the link-to-self descriptor to a location of the descriptor for streaming the second boot image effective to resume the memory controller to stream, based on the descriptor and via another DMA operation, the second boot image to the non-contiguous memory location.
One or more computer-readable hardware-based storage devices embodying processor-executable instructions that, responsive to execution by a processor of a host device, implement a stream manager to:
- cause a memory controller that is streaming, via a direct memory access (DMA) operation, multiple boot images from a non-volatile memory to a volatile memory to execute a link-to-self effective to stall the memory controller after streaming a first one of the multiple boot images to the volatile memory, the volatile memory accessible by the host device;
- generate, via the processor of the host device, while the memory controller is stalled, and based on the first boot image streamed to the volatile memory, a descriptor for streaming a second one of the multiple boot images from the non-volatile memory to a non-contiguous location of the volatile memory or another volatile memory;
- and
- point, via the processor of the host device, the link-to-self descriptor to a location of the descriptor for streaming the second boot image effective to resume the memory controller to stream, based on the descriptor and via another DMA operation, the second boot image to the non-contiguous location of the volatile memory or the other volatile memory.
A system comprising:
- a first memory storing multiple boot images;
- a memory controller configured to stream the multiple boot images from the first memory via direct memory access (DMA);
- a second memory from which processor-executable instructions of one or more of the multiple boot images are executable;
- a processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions of one or more of the multiple boot images;
- and
- a stream manager to:
- cause, while streaming the multiple boot images from the first memory to the second memory via a DMA operation, the memory controller to execute a link-to-self effective to stall the memory controller after streaming a first one of the multiple boot images to the second memory;
- generate, via the processor of the system, while the memory controller is stalled, and based on the first boot image streamed to the second memory, a descriptor for streaming a second one of the multiple boot images from the first memory to a non-contiguous memory location;
- and
- point, via the processor of the system, the link-to-self descriptor to a location of the descriptor for streaming the second boot image effective to resume the memory controller to stream, based on the descriptor and via another DMA operation, the second boot image to the non-contiguous memory location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.